The present invention relates to powered injector systems and syringe adapters for use therewith.
A number of injector-actuated syringes and powered injectors for use in medical procedures such as angiography, computed tomography, ultrasound and NMR/MRI have been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,736, for example, discloses an injector and syringe for injecting fluid into the vascular system of a human being or an animal. Typically, such injectors comprise drive members such as pistons that connect to a syringe plunger. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,980, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an angiographic injector and syringe wherein the drive member of the injector can be connected to, or disconnected from, the syringe plunger at any point along the travel path of the plunger via a releasable mechanism. A front-loading syringe and injector system is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,858, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,858, a syringe used with a front-loading injector preferably includes a readily releasable mounting mechanism for securing the syringe to the front wall of the injector. The use of specifically designed mounting mechanisms, however, prevents the use of syringes of other various types with front-loading injectors. Such syringes may, for example, include a syringe body, a plunger reciprocally mounted therein, and a plunger extension for transfer of force to the plunger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,653, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses several adapters designed to allow the use of various syringes with a front-loading injector. In one embodiment, the adapter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,653 includes a syringe carrier having a front end, a rear end, and syringe retaining channel located between the carrier front and rear ends for engaging at least a portion of the syringe flange. Mounting flanges near the rearward end of the carrier releasably mount the carrier in a desired position relative to the front wall of the injector. The adapter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,653 further includes a follower reciprocally mounted within the carrier. The follower has a front end that engages the syringe plunger extension when the syringe is installed in the carrier. A drive head opening in the carrier communicates with a pair of drive head slots positioned near the rear end of the follower for releasably mounting the follower in a desired position relative to the drive head of the injector.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,653 is a substantial improvement in the art, it remains desirable to develop improved adapters for use with syringes of various types to permit use of such syringes with front-loading injectors.
In general, the present invention provides an adapter for releasably mounting a syringe in a desired position relative to a front-loading powered injector. The syringe includes a body and a plunger slideably positioned within the body. The injector includes a front wall, an opening formed in the front wall, and a drive member reciprocally mounted in the injector. The adapter preferably includes generally a syringe carrier adapted to seat at least a portion of the syringe. The syringe carrier includes at least one rearward facing abutment member to abut at least one forward facing surface on the syringe. The syringe carrier includes an opening therein to allow the drive member of the injector to communicate forward force to the plunger through abutment without connective engagement between the drive member and the plunger. The adapter further includes a releasable mounting mechanism positioned to the rear of the syringe carrier to mount the adapter in a desired position relative to the front wall of the injector.
The syringe may further include a transition region over which the radius or width of the syringe decreases (for example, a generally frusto-conical region) attached to a forward end of the body. The abutment member may abut a forward facing surface created by the transition region. Preferably, the abutment member abuts the transition region only in the vicinity of the transition from the body to the generally frusto-conical region (for example, at to the outer edge of the transition region).
The syringe may further include a syringe flange attached to a rearward end of the body of the syringe. The abutment member may abut a forward facing surface of the syringe flange. Preferably, the abutment member abuts the syringe flange only in the vicinity of the transition from the body to the syringe flange.
In one embodiment, the adapter includes a first section and a second section rotatable relative to each other about a hinge axis generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the adapter. The first section and the second section are preferably rotatable about the hinge axis to an open position to allow loading of the syringe into the adapter from a position to the rear of the hinge axis. The first section and the second section are also preferably rotatable about the hinge axis to a closed position to form the syringe carrier.
In another embodiment, the adapter includes a first section and a second section that are generally the same in construction. The first section and the second section are connectable to form the syringe carrier and the releasable mounting mechanism.
The present invention also provides an adapter for releasably mounting a syringe in a desired position relative to a powered injector. The syringe preferably includes a body and a plunger slideably position within the body as discussed above. The injector preferably includes a front wall, an opening formed in the front wall, and a drive member reciprocally mounted in the injector. The adapter includes a first section and a second section that are rotatable relative to each other about a hinge axis generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the adapter to an open position to allow loading of the syringe into the adapter from a position to the rear of the hinge axis. The first section and the second section are also preferably rotatable about the hinge axis to a closed position to form a syringe carrier to seat at least a portion of the syringe.
The present invention also provides an adapter for releasably mounting a syringe in a desired position relative to a powered injector. The adapter preferably includes a first section and a second section that are of generally the same in construction. The first section and the section are connectable to form a syringe carrier to seat at least a portion of the syringe. Preferably, the first section and the section also form a releasable mounting mechanism positioned to the rear of the syringe carrier to mount the adapter in a desired position relative to the front wall of the injector.